Israel did not sabotage Irish ship, says Foreign Ministry

Foreign Ministry officials have said that Israel did not damage the engine of the Irish ship Saoirse, one of ten ships participating in the mass movement to break the Gaza sea blockade.

The ship was docked in Turkish waters last week when it sustained engine damage. The damage caused organizers to pull the vessel out of the flotilla.

Fintan Lane, coordinator of the Irish Ship to Gaza organization, said he believed that divers had worked underwater to cut a piece of the propeller shaft and called the alleged act "dangerous sabotage."

On Friday, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News, reported that the damage to the ship might not be a result of sabotage at all, saying that investigations have revealed that the ship was damaged before it entered Turkish waters.

The Jerusalem Post reported that a flotilla of boats planning to challenge Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip is expected to sail next week, after repeated delays that activists blame on Israeli sabotage. Israel has denied the accusations.